Thimble for shoe-lasts.



No. 679,514. Patented July so, |901. J. E. scoTT.

THIMBLE FOR SHOE LASTS.

(Application filed. May 10, 189B.)

(.No'hlodel.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. SCOTT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

THIMBLE FOR SHOE-LASTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 679,514, dated July 30, 1901.

Application filed May 10, 1898. Serial No. 680,274. (No model.)

To c/,ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN EMMERSON SCOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Thiinbles for Shoe-Lasts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for protecting from wear the socket provided in a shoe-last for the reception of the supporting-spindle. As is Well known, when these sockets are not provided with an interior metal lining the Walls thereof after a short period of use become so Worn and damaged that the spindle will not fit snugly therein, and therefore the last will not be properly and iirmly supported.

The object of the present invention is to provide a thimble or lining for such spindlesockets which will be cheap of manufacture and Which can be quickly fitted in and securely retained Within such a socket, and preferably such thimble is made from a single sheet or blank of met-al which is of such form as to provide when bent into the iinished shape a tubular body adapted to tit snugly Within a spindle-socket in a last and provided at its Lipper and lower ends With means for attachment to the last and at an intermediate point of its length With auxiliary retaining devices arranged to engage with the last to prevent rotation of the thimble in its socket.

I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan View of a last having my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 isalongitudinal vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a view of the blank from which my improved thimble is formed. Fig. 4 is a sectional vieW of the thimble or lining detached from the last. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the thimble.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

A designates the last, and A the detachable last-block, which may be of any desired construction.

The last A is provided with the usual spindle-socket e, and B designates as a Whole the thimble or lining forv such socket, to which my invention relates. This thimble or lining B is preferably made from a sheet-metal blank, which may be of the form illustrated in Fig. 3. As shown in the last said figure, the blank is of such form as to have at one end three projecting tapering tongues C C O2, the central tongue C being wider and longer than those at O C2, which are situated at the side edges l) of the blank. At its opposite end the blank is provided with a suitable number (two in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in this application) of projecting spurs d. In the blank (adjacent to the sides l) in the present form) are also formed slits or cuts d2, which thus separate from the body of the blank the sides of triangular-shaped prongs el'. In constructing the thimble B from such a blank the latter is bent about a suitable former to bring the edges or sides b together, and the tongues C C C2 are bent outwardly from the body of the blank. IVhen thus arranged, it will be seen that the tongues O' O2 lie close together and extend in a direction opposite to that in which the tongue C projects from the body of the thimble. These tongues O O C2 thus form a iiange or iianges at the upperend of the thimble B, Which when the body of the thimble is inserted in the socket e, lie against the upper side of the last A. The spurs d will penetrate into the body of the last at the bottom of the socket e when the thimble is placed therein, and a further connection between the thimble and last is effected by means of screws D, which are passed through apertures c, formed in the tongues O' O2. The spurs or prongs d are also provided as an additional means for securing the thimble in position inits socket. When the blank is initially turned or bent into tubular form, these prongs are bent in- Wardly at an intermediate point in their length, so that, as shown in Fig. 4, they assume a position in which their pointed ends extend horizontally and lie flush with or Within the outer surface of the thimble. After the thimble has been properly placed within the socket e and the spurs d embedded in the bottom of such socket a rod or plunger having the same diameter as the spindle which is to be used as a support for the last IOO is forced down into the thimble, and. as it moves down over the inclined surfaces of the prongs d the points of such prongs are forced outwardly and into the body of the last surrounding the socket e.

It will be noticed that I arrange the spurs d about the middle of the thimble vertically. By this arrangement I am able to more securely hold the thimble in place than would be possible if such spurs were situated adjacent to the ends of the thimble. If the spurs d' were arranged near the upper end of the thimble, for example, they would necessarily have to be relatively. shorter and j of a shoe-last having a retaining spur or prong struck up or cut from the thimble-body and j normally having a portion extending Within jthe bore or passage in the thimble, and its would not attain the firm engagement with the socket-wall 'that is desired, while if they were situated near the lower end the turning of the last upon its spindle when in use, and the consequent tendency to twist or revolve the thimble in its socket, would act ro loosen the hold of the spurs upon the socket-wall, When, however, the spurs are placed and related to the other parts, as in my construction,

the wall of the socket is not weakened by the I engagement of numerous spurs at closely-ad jacent points, and the thimble is also directly connected with the last, both at its end and at points intermediate of its length.

As shown in Figs. l and 2, the tongue C extends forward from the socket e and projects partially over the last-block, and is thus adapted to serve as a springholder for retaining the last-block in its seat on the last.

will be seen that I have provided a very simple and eiicient last-block fastener. One of that it does not require the employment of supplemental fastening devices or springs nor the forming of sockets in or otherwise weakening or changing the lastorlast-blockinserted in the ordinary straight kcylindrical socket commonly formed in lasts and, with- -out requiring any change in any part of the last-block, be secured in place and caused to protect the walls of the socket from wear, and alsoas a lock or fastening device for-the lastblock.

Having thus described the construction and manner of using my invention, what I claim isl. A thimble for the spindle-socket of a shoe-last, having integral spurs or 'prongs v adapted to engage respectively with the bottom of a socket-and side walls of said socket at points above the lower end of the thimble, substantially as set forth.

2. Athimble orliningforthespindle-socket ofa shoe-last, formed from a single metallic blank having at its lower end and at an intermediate point in its length spurs or prongs for engaging with the bottom and side walls of such a socket, and also having at its upper end means for securing it to the body of the last beyond said socket, substantially as 1 set forth.

3. A thimble,orlining,for the spindle-socket point fiush with, or inside of, the outer face j or surface of the thimble, and adapted to be forced beyond the thimble into engagement with the Wall of the socket, substantially as i set forth.

4. The herein-described thimble for the spindle-socket of a shoe-last formed from a :sheet-metal blank having a spur, d, at one end, and a spur, cl, cnt from lthe body of the blank, at an intermediate point in its length, the latter being bent to have its body extend E at an angle to its point and out of line with f the body of the plate, whereby, when the blank is rolled up to form the thimble, the ispur, d, will project beyond the lower end From this description and the drawings it g thereof; and the body of the spur, d', will eX- j tend into the bore in the thimble, substanvtially as set forth. the greatest advantages which it posesses is I 5. A thimble for the spindle-socket of a shoe-last, having integral spurs or prongs ladapted to engage with the side walls of said socket at points above the lower end of the f thimble, substantially as set forth.

that is, my improved thimble can be readily 6. A thimble or lining for the spindle-socket 1 of a shoe-last consisting of a tubular body f adapted to tit the socket and having at its upperl end a Iiange adapted to conform accurately to the top surface of the last about the spindle-socket, and provided, in its tubular body portion above the bottom with spurs adapted to engage with the last surrounding l the spindle-socket.

JOHN E. SCOTT. Witnesses:

THOMAS J. BEWLEY', S. E. W. BEWLEY.

IOO 

